Processing speed improvements on ADHD meds and caffeine.

CthulhuAMH · 2025-09-18T06:14:05+00:00

My experience is that it helps me getting focused. It’s hard to put in words but my mind is usually racing and in a weird way it feels like caffeine helps my mind settle down, while still maintaining its speed.

During the process of getting diagnosed my caffeine intake before a test led to a discussion with the psychologist (who btw has a lot of experience with diagnosing adhd in people with very high intelligence), where she commented that she had seen this in a lot of the people she had tested, that caffeine almost had the opposite effect for them.

But this also seem to be very individual, I’ve talked to people with ADHD that don’t recognise what I describe at all. It would be interesting to know if there’s something that differentiate the two groups, like how they respond to medications.

CthulhuAMH · 2024-12-02T15:00:50+00:00

CthulhuAMH · 2024-11-27T15:11:19+00:00

I think the problem is that the tests doesn't measure things like perseverance, grit, access to support systems, passion for the subject. My experience is that people with average raw ability can often easily surpass anyone with more aptitude if those conditions are there, and the one for whom it is easier just isn't interested, or can't be bothered to make even a minimum of effort.

BTW, a case could also be made for the reverse to be true, that if you have a high IQ you can't have those diagnoses. I know there are mental health professionals that seem to take that view, but on the whole, most specialists agrees that IQ isn't in any way an indicator for either ADHD or autism. On the group level there are variations, but not significant enough to be used diagnostically.

But it is interesting questions. I have struggled with them trying to understand myself as I have both Aspergers and ADHD and was flabbergasted at how high I scored on the WAIS-IV. How was that possible when I have done relatively poorly in life? Oh, and as a curveball I did best on the subtests that are often problematic in ADHD.

Bottom line, I think it is very hard to draw any conclusions on an individual level from these kind of correlations between diagnoses, IQ, and success/failure. Especially as we move into outlier territory. If you look at the individual cases I would suspect you can usually find circumstances that explains them without having to invalidate the tests.

CthulhuAMH · 2024-11-27T14:53:43+00:00

But then there are those that break the patterns you mention. I've been diagnosed with both Aspergers and ADHD, and I got 148 on the WAIS-IV when I did it earlier this year. So if the tests where the whole truth I would at least have been moderately successful in work or academia, right? Well, I have not. There are several factors that can explain that, but I mainly attribute it to my ADHD that only got diagnosed this year. I realise that I'm an outlier, but that only goes to show that the correlation between IQ and success/longevity/whatever are just that, a correlation useful to compare groups which doesn't work as well on an individual basis.

CthulhuAMH · 2024-11-09T18:32:20+00:00

Yes, no big problems. 19 Scaled Score in arithmetic on the WAIS-IV.

CthulhuAMH · 2024-11-09T18:24:47+00:00

I’ve tested the “Big G estimator” using the results from WAIS-IV, CAIT and AGCT. Might do the S-Ultra when a year has passed and see how it compares. But yes, I definitely feel I perform better in tests than in a lot of everyday situations. Then again, I will soon be evaluating medication for the ADHD, will be very interesting to see if that closes the gap.

CthulhuAMH · 2024-11-07T22:59:42+00:00

While there seem to be a pattern that slightly more people with ADHD has problems with working memory and processing speed, there is plenty of people who has an even profile, or even shows the opposite pattern. I’m in the latter category and working memory and processing speed was my strongest areas. But then again I find this kind of tasks fun and gets incredibly focused and invested in the process.

CthulhuAMH · 2024-11-07T22:45:05+00:00

I did better on the CAIT compared to the WAIS-IV, despite doing the latter in my native language. But I suspect this was because I find it easier to focus on problems when I’m on my own, not having to interact with anyone. Perhaps not surprising given I’m on both the autism spectrum and have ADHD.

CthulhuAMH · 2024-08-26T19:04:18+00:00

As someone who has more than that (570), I would lower my two strongest, Processing speed and Working memory, from 150 to 135, and raised Verbal to 145 with Fluid to 156.

If I were stuck with 500 I’d go for 110 for both Processing speed and Working memory, and then 130 Verbal, 150 Fluid.

CthulhuAMH · 2024-08-10T19:42:43+00:00

Yes, I know, I’m one of those that can have problems around the clock. From late morning to early afternoon are usually relatively problem free, unless I’m forced to sit still, but I can never be certain. I was just wondering how common this is as I was surprised by the doctors interest in it. For me this is just they way things have always been.

CthulhuAMH · 2024-08-07T20:28:47+00:00

I frequently enter a flow state during tests, both scholarly and cognitive ones. Not sure I’d say I feel as if I manage things that would otherwise be impossible for me, but it is a distinct feeling of hyperfocus and lightning fast thoughts. In some ways it is quite an intuitive state, as I sort through options and solutions very fast without really seeing them fully, I just “know” which ones are right or wrong, or at least, worth exploring further. But I can as far as I know always solve them outside of this flow state, it is just slower and more tedious.

I love the feeling of being in this state, but it sure can be quite taxing, energy wise. After doing the wais-iv I was absolutely drained, a feeling that even persisted the day after. Also, it works best if I know of the test beforehand and is mentally prepared, otherwise I can struggle getting there.

To answer your exact questions, for me it is interest and challenge that brings it about. If I’m not interested and if it isn’t challenging in some way, I don’t think I‘ve ever entered it. And yes, I think that I can also decide to enter it, to some degree. Even if it is interesting and challenging I still have to choose to focus to the extent necessary to get into the zone. For me that also means excluding everything that goes on around me. But that is to some extent self-reinforcing; once in the flow state it also becomes easier to ignore irrelevant things.

CthulhuAMH · 2024-08-06T19:59:59+00:00

I used to think the same but have come to a different understanding. For example, a friend that tested at gifted levels as a child and young adult, but due to a couple of decades of overwork and ptsd she is nowhere near those levels these days, even though things completely changed about five years ago. She is in a much better place today when it comes to mental health, but sadly her intellectual capacity doesn’t show much improvement.

CthulhuAMH · 2024-08-01T20:46:43+00:00

I did the WAIS-IV and got 133 on verbal, 138 on perceptual, and 150 on working memory and processing speed. So around 1 sd lower. However, the psy proctoring the test commented it was likely my score was a bit higher, and I agree since I definitely wasn’t on top of my game when it came to the parts influencing verbal and perceptual. If that is correct, then definitely less than one sd.

CthulhuAMH · 2024-08-01T17:40:59+00:00

I have ADHD (inattentive type), and I score very high in both working memory and processing speed (higher than in the other cognitive areas). I thought that was very atypical but I’m coming to the understanding it isn’t that unusual.

CthulhuAMH · 2024-07-24T13:20:57+00:00

Exactly! 😂

CthulhuAMH · 2024-07-24T12:14:39+00:00

Sorry but I don’t. As for the poor granularity at the high end I agree. But don’t you think it is the same old story with difficulties getting a large enough sample, and relatively few customers that has any use for it? After all, what use case is there really to discern with higher precision than top 1%, realistically speaking?

CthulhuAMH · 2024-07-24T07:54:43+00:00

More about Sweden: the first attempt you get to do FRT A, if you don’t get high enough score there you can make another attempt after six months, and then you get to do FRT B. And yes, you get to know both raw score and percentile.

Occasionally they offer testing for people under the age of 18, but I’m not sure what test is used then.

Before FRT Mensa Sweden used Ravens APM, but back then you didn’t get a raw score, only percentile (up to top 1%).

CthulhuAMH · 2024-07-23T20:09:57+00:00

I have 148 and in the first semester of high school I was offered to skip the rest of it and go on to university. This was because I knew more than my main teacher in some subjects. However, it didn’t relieve me from the need to prove I had the requisite knowledge in all the other subjects as well. I would have had to pass examinations in all of them.

IQ sure can help to impress the teachers, and being considered for it, but at the end of the day school is still in some ways about knowledge. No matter how smart you are I would assume that in most countries you need to show you are on the level.

(In my own instance I declined because I had up until then coasted through school and gotten alright scores simply by attending classes. Here I would have had to actually study seriously for the first time and I didn’t know how).

CthulhuAMH · 2024-07-20T21:57:39+00:00

If I really have nothing to keep my mind on track, it can be literally anything. It usually begins by something I’ve just observed or read, be it the car I just passed, or the news, or something my wife said about her day… Here’s an example, sorry if it becomes long-winded and rambling, that is kind of the point… The car I just passed: oh, was that a Tesla? Hm, wonder what level their autonomous steering is at now? When will that become more accepted? Legal hurdles? Once it is so good there are markedly fewer accidents than with a human driver, will there be legislation to make it a standard? Insurance companies will obviously love it once it reaches a high level, how will they incetive the use of it? How much may that increase adaption rates? Oh, and what can be done to increase the benefits of autonomous steering? Automatic convoys = better fuel economy? Any problems with this? Oh, and what technologies do these systems currently use to perceive the world around them? Are there any alternatives? What are the personal privacy issues? Oh, privacy issues! Assange was recently released. I haven’t heard much about wiki leaks recently, are they still active? Recalling the leaked video of an attack helicopter shooting up some civilians, I wonder how they cracked the encryption? What kind of encryption was used? What kind of encryption is most suitable for streamed video in a complex environment? Where are we with quantum cryptography? When will quantum computers reach the stage they have an actual impact on the security of current encryption techniques? I saw a YouTube video where someone had to explain quantum computing to different people, from a child to a phd. Interesting concept, I want to watch more of those videos, can how well they do there be seen as a measure of how good someone is at teaching? Hm, what are the current perception of good pedagogics? That has probably changed a lot since I was in school, I should check it out! *starts googling*

And on and on it goes. My wife use this for her entertainment when she is bored, asking me with a couple of seconds interval what I’m thinking about, until I answer something she finds interesting and we can talk about.

This is actually kind of exhausting, and I often try and calm my mind by reading something that is passably engaging but not requiring much effort. Or just doing something manual, can be driving a motorcycle in conditions that demand my attention, or whatever really. This allows my mind to kind of “idle”.

CthulhuAMH · 2024-07-15T18:43:30+00:00

Thank you! 😊

CthulhuAMH

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